Was lucky enough to attend the show driving up from ECSU (actually both nights). The Centrum was just 2+ years old. A crisp fall night in New England with the GD How can you go wrong And the music well you be the judge

This one, for me, is a little too unwieldy. I know it gets a fair (good) amount of love, listed #22 in DeadBase XI for "favorite tapes" of '84 and all. And yes, the first set is a hoot. I especially dig the opening Dancing in the Street. "Fall is here and the time is right!" (Dancin' returned 7/7/81 after 128 shows - last played 12/10/79 - then not again for another 203 shows until 6/24/84. This is the fourth of six played in '84.) Killer Slipknot! jam in the opening Help-Franklin's sequence, but Idk, similar to the LIG, it hovers on the precipice and sort of loses me- lyrical blunders throughout certainly don't help. 

Neat placement on the Jack Straw- following the Franklin's Tower. It's not exceptional, but well-executed. He's Gone vocal freak-out and exit jam is probably my highlight from the night. Transition into The Wheel hits the spot, too.   All in all, not a great show - certainly not five-star, perhaps not even four-star-    but I think these fall '84 shows are better than anticipated. 

Relatively rare, "Revolution," only played 11x, last played 52 shows prior on 10/31/83, is sleepy (and rusty) for an encore. They'd play it one more time in '84, 3x in '85, and twice in Sp90 before retiring it for good. 

I like the Dead for hot 1st sets like this.
Dancin during this period was so let your hair down.
FRIEND- very cool, Loving Garcia's beyond raspiness
Band call the Me & My Uncle>Mexicali right up front
Althea is trippy/// Weir on slide?
Esau had a short run but it was close to my heart.
Very good song selection and a honey of RxR >Let It Grow closer

I also love the Dead for hard jamming Help>Slip > Franklins
as Garcia is La, la La on some of those lyrics.
They are cooking! A slight dropout into STRAW
>Jack Straw mid 2nd set, WOW!
>He's Gone- The perfect tune selection
STEAL YOUR FACE RIGHT OFF YOUR HEAD!!!
Just the right pace here
After listening to this tune evolve during 1972
how cool to hear it fully mature here.
and since I already know what's coming
iHe's Gone>Smokestack just PURRRFECT
They moved Smokestack around from 84 to 90
and it was a rarity to boot
That jam on the He's Gone outro flows so well.
Smokestack also has same or similar hook as Wang Dang..
Weir is bringing those lyrics like Howling Wolf
Maybe a little Chula Vista cruiser
Brent nice in the mix tonight
Big Boy drums,, Pound em!
Cello Space >WHEEL
T Stones-A good slot for this twisty turny big picture tune
The Night birds call
STELLA-last ballad
Around x 2-micro version
Johnny 'B' Brent Scatting and slashing
E) REVOLUTION -garcia lyrics laid back and mellow
YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT...

I was there, just a wide-pupiled college kid on a bender. Center stage at the way-back top, with my back against the breathing wall. Dancing and dancing and hoping for El Paso, but rewarded with a stellar Jack Straw. A thick New England fog swirling as I walked back out to the Holy Cross Campus with the old electric train going round and round the track inside my skull... I've had plenty of days without sunshine but this was not one of them...

I hadn't listened to this show for years. Fall 1984 was my 2nd tour after summer 84. It was "my hey-dey !" Yes sir I was FULLY on board after experiencing Fall 84, Summer 85; early & late, and Fall 1985. Imo the music holds up more than well after all these years. That time period is strong "RINGING TRUE IN MY OLD MEMORY." As good as it got for me. For sure I felt 87 was a great year and Fall 1989, Spring 1990 thru all of 1991 THE DEAD were I arguably at the top of their game. But this time period here just was IT, a lot having to do with it being my jumping off spot. Anyways 10/9/84 was a good one. The tour started to steamroll this night. It was the 1st "Smokestack" sans Pigpen. I remember I was sitting 4th row center, & as they hit that 1st VERY recognizable note some Head sitting behind the band yelled "Smokestack Lightning Bobby . . ." nailing it. I'm a huge "Jack Stra" fan & hearing them pull o e out mid set two was SWEET. It was a good one too-solid, it's just the one they played at The Carrier Done was one of the most sublime pieces of music I ever heard the boys lay down. In my humble opinion That "Jack Straw" from 10/20/84 is arguably the BEST "Jack Stra" they e er played. I don't say that lightly it just us. But as I say this one wasn't shabby naki g Fall 74 memorable for the "Jack Straws" played. The "He,'s Gone" & "Revolution" being nice nods to John Lennon it being his birthday and all. This was a solid show and I felt then, & still do it was the night that Fall 84 took off promising to he a "better than run of the mill" tour for the boys. The 2bd night in Augusta Me was a top 5 Dead show, outta 400+, the Carrier Come . . . An amazing tour that "really" started here at The Centrum in Worcester Town as my good friends the twins and their you get brother, locals proudly refer to their beloved hometown. Thanks for the memories Deadlists . . .

Woooooooooorsta..Nice crisp fall SBD with a solid set list~~84 need I say more? Give it a Whirl~~!! Forever Grateful>Forever Dead

I am severely biased since this is the first show i ever saw and it totally seduced me. Tripping balls sitting in the very top row of the Centrum about 30 feet to the left of the house spots (they were still using house spots here) and seeing the solid beam of light going all the way down to the stage when they broke out of the jam and hit "got two reason why i cry" and thinking i could slide down that beam to the stage totally hooked my 16 year-old self on the Dead.

Later i moved down and started roaming the lobby and ring walk and did not appreciate the 2nd set at all (6 tunes before AND 5 after drums/space) except for the "Franklin's Tower" at the time. Listening to it today i can appreciate i saw an amazing show with a bonus tribute to John Lennon in the encore that i knew as special but not how special (oct. 9 is Lennon's birthday.)

Very good show. Exellent recording.

Healy trippy! A great Brent performance! Wonderful: fluid, slimy and electric!

When I am pressed to say why I like 1984 shows
so well, I find it difficult to really define that certain quality that much of this year has. Kinda like a color or a flavor that they have no name for yet. Ever feel that way about a favorite year?

The words that come to mind are mellow, warm, gooey, melty and richly textured. Kinda like sitting in a hot tub while doing shrooms, which I recommend.

When people talk about their preference for the early 80's versus the later "commercial" period, this show is close to the dividing line, and, although 1984 isn't nearly as strong as 1981 or 1982, both extremely good years, this show embodies much of the warmth and laid back feel of the period. Before they got "famous" on MTV and the Shakedown lot scene was still pretty safe and there was a lot of family feeling amongst the audience.

1984 is also a year when you often get great song lists, combining the best of old and new. China>Rider, Morning Dew, China Doll, Shakedown, Uncle John, Wharf Rat, PLayin are all songs that were consistently well played - sometimes, dare I say it, even as well as some classic 70's shows. Another standout selection for 1984 are the many fine Help>Slipknot, of which the one here, and on 11/2/84 are as good as you'll find anywhere.

Speaking of the 1970's - look at the song set for this show. Except for Althea and Esau, Set One could easily be from 1977, or even earlier. And Set Two could also be from October 1977, with the exception of Throwing Stones. I love it when they do that. No bad Brent songs, no screeching Bobby C.C. Rider.

Set One is a solid and smooth wave all the way. Dancin kicks it off nicely indeed. Jerry's voice is a bit rough during FOTD, but it gets better as the night goes on. Jerry and the band really take it up a notch with RxR Blues. Garcia is at his cotton pickin' best here, in the twang groove. Hearing this with Brent makes you wish they'd had an organ player back in say, 1972 when they really could kick the beans out of this song. This version ain't no slouch, and gets the band psyched up for ...... a stellar Let it Grow.

They take the Grow at a nice slower, precise tempo that allows for some breathing room, and for Jerry to stretch out and add some texture to the solos. Notice how he incorporates the main theme of the song into much of his last solo near the end.

Help kicks off Set Two with conviction, and again they take things at a sensible groove, not too fast. Slipknot is 8 minutes long and Jerry leads us thru a winding maze of sounds and colors. Poly rhythms abound, where's the beat? Where's my body? Masterfully, Jerry pulls it all together and restates the theme at 7:20. As good as that was, the real star of this little section is the Franklin's - and the crowd immediately reacts to the opening chords. Smell the Patchouli, taste the paper in the back of your throat and shake your groovy self. Nearly 11 minutes of funky fun, and Jerry takes the band all the way down for a 3 point landing.
Then - a surprise and one of the reasons people love this show, a second set Jack Straw!! They're hitting on all cylinders now, and Jerry is throwing off sparkling leads left and right. The drummers and Phil really drive the song into the intensity lane and keep it there. The vocals are spot on. What more could a Jack Straw lover want?

Someone else mentioned that this was the first show where the band does the extended vocal riffs at the end of He's Gone. That may be correct, I don't know. But it's certainly another reason, another special touch that makes 1984 full of great shows. The crowd really gets into it. Full blown Gospel Church. This will heal what ails ya, brother! Bobby delivers a fine Smokestack and Jerry wails along in hot tones of red and purple.

Drums avoids getting boring, and Space begins with the Polynesian steel drum and marimba effects while Jerry finds a groove to wah and growl with. A quiet comtempletive space ensues midway, then Jerry starts with bendy notes that signal the arrival of Wheel that features some fine harmonies.

The rest of the show is just as good, with the Stella Blue being the highlight. You have to forgive the boys for trying Revolution it was John's birthday after all, and it's still better than Day Job, heh?

A fine addition to anyone's 80's collection, and other than a few minor AUD patches, an exceptional SBD for this period. 1984 was a trippy, mellow year for the Doctor. Were you there?

cheers,
Dr. Flashback :-)

This was an amazing night of music from start to finish, the entire band is on. The quality of this board is vastly different and far superior than the majority from this time period and is a nice indulgence and who knows why this is an exception. The opening Dancin is one of the best of the mid 80's and is played with a confidence and focus that drives it along.FOTD is exceptional with Brent really making this version stellar. The rest of the set is great with the ending being most excellent.Phil's reckoning bomb after the last verse of Let it Grow is intense. There are mixes of audience sources at times, not always at the best spots but what can you do. Set two starts off with a slower tempo Help> Slipknot which is quite good, with some great peaks by Jerry. Franklin's is awesome with Bill & Mickey really laying down a great groove, the whole band swings. As they did the entire night. The ending of Franklin's is very cool how Jerry brings it down to a gentle landing and then wham! At the show we all were blown away by the selection of Jack Straw, as this version is full of passion and thrills. The He's Gone is one of my favorites and I believe was the first one to include the extended vocal harmonies at the end, which sound great.They slip into a short Smokestack with full vocals, a sweet gesture to Pigpen. The D/S are very good as are favorite duo is focused on creating more memorable beats and gets tribal. What I like about space, is that Jerry & Bob play the same theme that was played before St. Stephen in late '83.Jerry has that level of distortion on guitar and it sounds as close as it's can get check it out. You get a intense Wheel> T.Stones and then a remarkable Stella Blue, the ending is beautiful. A very rocking ending to the set, Bob even says good nite after JBG and then a great Revolution for JL's birthday.

One more thing...
Did I mention that Brent goes wild during Johnny B. Goode!

We used to have a "Jack Off" party every year where we would vote for the best "Jack Straw" from our collections. Everyone would bring their tapes and put up a couple of their best. Worcester 9/10/84 always topped the list. The audience is right on top of you, the tapers are audibly inspired and the sound is sparkling. This was a Jerry and Phil night all the way. From a ridiculous Help>Slip>Franklin’s, where Phil just boomed away and threw the night into another gear, to a crescendo building Jack Straw, where Jerry just ignites the crowd with his ascending guitar solos culminating in an erupting and magnificent "jkstraw from Wichita...", the beginning of the second set is as good as it gets. The crowd went absolutely nuts…the tape captures it so well that you thing you’re right back there. You know how you'd come out of a show with the evening's energy all over your face…good or bad? This night, we poured out of the Centrum jumping up and down with smiles a mile wide (and it wasn't the liquid). You're gonna love this one!

These two shows at the Centrum were very good!!
Wistah was always kind of a strange area right around the Centrum, really not great place to party and hang, kind of inner cityish, no mans land, crappy.. But once you got inside for showtime, you forgot where you were.
I love this show, I love the set list and I think the band plays very well, check out the jam in Dancin', they get into it pretty good there.
But, I love the 2nd set Help>Slip>Franklins>Jack Straw..all smokin'.. I remember being at the show and being so happy to get into another Help>Slip

I would've loved to have been there for this show as well....

This one of my favorite Jack Straws of all time! It has an absolutely amazing crescendo just before the last verse. Simply Outstanding. A must have.

Above it says this is a MAC>Sony> etc. but this source is a crispy SBD with MAC>Sony etc. patches. Smokin show too.

Small cozy venue intimate setting in a heavy party scene fall tour 1984. Thats a dream situation for me. Thank you everyone involved, we can check this killer stuff out at our finger tips. Jerry sounds awesome on that trippy He's Gone>Smokestack. The recording is perfect. Top of my list for "wish I was there" shows. Missed this stuff by 4 years bummer. Would of been a blast. I started in late 80's and it was obviously getting big an commercial.
I think this is some real deal GD.
10-8-84
10-9-84
Smoking stuff.

Another killer Centrum show that I attended. Highlights for me are the forays into music/electronic sound art in Help; a long, spirited Jack Straw; the seamless vocal jam out of He's Gone into Smokestack (listen to the perceptive audience grabbing it at the first suggestion. You've got to love Dead audiences); Dan Healy's interactive delay effects at the end of Throwing Stones; and, for me, the best Stella Blue around. Notice how they let the jam go at the end. The teases and eventual climax send shivers down my spine.

Crisp room mix, too. The snare drums crack and everything is sharp and percussive.

Just go through the years and look up shows from 10/9 and you'll see that the boys always rocked on John Lennon's birthday...this one was no exception. The He's gone goes ballistic.

I turned 5 on this day! Wish I could have been there.

first set was rocking and this was the first smokestack they actually played in a while - they had teased a bit down in hampton but did not sing the words so when bobby banged out the first few lines the place lost it.... back end of the show not as strong as the first but it did not mattter

In theire brief love affair with the Centrum The boys kicked some ass.This one is no exception. The second set is where the Fireworks happen and the Help>slip>Frank was the perfect springboard into that crystalline water. This is the better night of the two,don't hesitate YOU'LL DIG IT MAN